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I'm in Love with Margaret Thatcher

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"I'm in Love with Margaret Thatcher"
Single by The Notsensibles
A-side
  • I'm In Love With Margaret Thatcher
  • Concerto No. 2
B-side
  • Little Boxes
  • Gary Bushell's Band Of The Week[1]
ReleasedOctober 1979
Recorded12 September 1979[1]
GenrePunk rock
Length3:38
LabelRedball
Snotty Snail
Songwriter(s)Notsensibles
The Notsensibles singles chronology
"Death To Disco"
(1979) 		"I'm in Love with Margaret Thatcher"
(1979) 		"I Thought You Were Dead"
(1980)

"I'm in Love with Margaret Thatcher" is a 1979 single by the English punk band Notsensibles. It was originally written as a tongue-in-cheek comment on Margaret Thatcher, and following her death in 2013 was part of a social media campaign to get it to number one on the UK Singles Chart.[2] The song charted at number 35 on the chart on 12 April 2013.[3]

Initial release

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The Notsensibles formed in Burnley, Lancashire, in 1978, to "make silly records and play silly gigs".[4] Their second single, "I'm in Love with Margaret Thatcher", was issued in October 1979, five months after Thatcher's win in the UK General Election. Initially self-released in a pressing of 1,000 on the Redball label, but reissued on the Snotty Snail label due to continuing demand,[4] the release gave them a No. 8 UK Indie Chart hit at the start of 1980.[5] According to one review, the song was: "Meant as neither a pro- nor anti-Thatcher song. It revolved around the idea that no-one was too sacred to get the piss taken out of."[6] Writer Simon Reynolds stated that it "...taps into the side of punk all about not taking anything seriously..."[7] The record sleeve showed a photograph of Thatcher apparently giving a V sign to the camera.[8] The single's B-side included "Gary Bushell's Band of the Week", which poked fun at the journalist.[9]

The song was featured in the 2011 film The Iron Lady starring Meryl Streep, and was re-released on vinyl and download at that time.

After Thatcher's death

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After the death of Margaret Thatcher in April 2013 there was a social media campaign to raise "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" from The Wizard of Oz to number one in the UK Singles Chart. Following its rapid rise up the charts, there was a rival campaign to promote "I'm in Love with Margaret Thatcher".[10] The song reached number 35 on the charts, while its rival campaign Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead made it to number 2. The campaign was initially understood to have been started by Thatcher supporters, and was endorsed by former Conservative MP and author Louise Mensch,[11] but in fact was initiated by Notsensibles' singer Mike Hargreaves and promoter Suzie Delooze by way of a Facebook page.[12][13]

The Notsensibles' song was reportedly considered "more favourable to Baroness Thatcher", and at one performance in 2012, Hargreaves claimed that he had "great reverence for Thatcher".[14][15] Hargreaves later said: "I find it hilarious that Tories have adopted it. The song is a sort-of tribute and sort-of not."[16] Band member Steven Hartley commented that it had been written as a satirical swipe at her,[2][16] and also said: "It was tongue-in-cheek - a bit of fun... a throw-away ditty... We were never rebels. We were never a sneering punk rock band - it was all a bit of light-hearted fun to us."[17] The band's promoter Suzie Delooze said: "Whether you like her or not the band thought that their song was more tongue-in-cheek and not so horrible towards the lady and her family. Hopefully, it will reach a much wider audience and be more respectful than other songs."[13]

Chart performance

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Chart (2013) Peak
position
Scotland (OCC)[18] 71
UK Singles (OCC)[19] 35
UK Indie (OCC)[20] 7

References

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  1. ^ a b "Notsensibles – I'm In Love With Margaret Thatcher". www.discogs.com/. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  2. ^ a b "R1 Chart show will not play full Margaret Thatcher song". BBC News. BBC. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  3. ^ "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead misses number one spot". BBC News. 14 April 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  4. ^ a b Gimarc, George (2005) Punk Diary: The Ultimate Trainspotter's Guide to Underground Rock 1970-1982, Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-848-6
  5. ^ Lazell, Barry (1997) Indie Hits 1980-1989, Cherry Red Books, ISBN 0-9517206-9-4
  6. ^ D. Plyvale, quoted at Notsensibles.com. Retrieved 14 April 2013
  7. ^ Simon Reynolds, Rip it Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984, Faber & Faber, 2009
  8. ^ Record sleeve and label images at Discogs.com. Retrieved 14 April 1979
  9. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2003) "Notsensibles", in The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0
  10. ^ "'I'm In Love with Margaret Thatcher' anthem aiming to rival 'witch' song in charts". The Daily Telegraph. London. 12 April 2013. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  11. ^ ITV News, MPs join 'Grantham Style' campaign for pro-Thatcher hit, 12 April 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2013
  12. ^ Jason Walsh (13 April 2013). "Who's really behind 'I'm in love with Margaret Thatcher'?". Christian Science Monitor.
  13. ^ a b "Campaign to get Burnley band's Margaret Thatcher song to number 1". Lancashire Telegraph. 13 April 2013.
  14. ^ London Evening Standard, Facebook campaign grows to push 'I'm In Love With Margaret Thatcher' to top of the charts, 12 April 2013. Accessed 14 April 2013
  15. ^ Huffington Post UK, Ding Dong Enters Charts, But Could It Be Beaten By 'I'm In Love With Margaret Thatcher'?, 12 April 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2013
  16. ^ a b "I'm in Love with Margaret Thatcher song at no.6 in iTunes chart as protest against Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead". Metro. 13 April 2013. The irony of the campaign is that the original song – despite its seemingly praiseworthy lyrics – is actually believed to be a sarcastic dig at the former prime minister
  17. ^ Lynette Horsbrugh, Notsensibles recall writing Margaret Thatcher song, BBC News Lancashire, 16 April 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2013
  18. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  19. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  20. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
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